Sixty Years
by JanSuch
Summary: Where did Nikola Tesla go after WWII? What was he doing for over sixty years until Helen saw him again? This is a stand alone story, not related to my other stories.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Sanctuary or the Sanctuary characters, and I'm making no profit from this.

Sixty years is a long time; a lifetime in some parts of the world. Time to be born, go to school, grow up, marry, have children and a career, grandchildren, and die surrounded by loving family.

Nikola Tesla died January 7, 1943, at the age of eighty-six, having led a full and extraordinarily productive life. Government agents raced to secure his papers, believing among them would be found the secret to his "death ray", which was not a ray at all but a particle beam weapon. No design or description of such a device was ever found.

Nikola was rather relieved when his funeral was over. The eulogies and world-wide mourning had been quite gratifying, but at least now he would no longer be hounded by governments and agents of secret organizations, all after his amazing device. He had invented it as a purely defensive weapon, imagining all nations having their borders entirely secured by a series of particle beam installations. He thought it would be the end of invasions, of war itself. Okay, he had been naïve, he admitted it.

He had been hidden from public view for years anyway, spending the years of the war in Washington D.C. and London creating and breaking codes, inventing new ways to communicate, and lending his immense intellect to the Allied war effort. The pitiful old man they had stuck in a New York hotel room to pretend to be him and befuddle the Axis had finally died and would be buried with great honor along with the name Nikola Tesla.

Of course he himself, being a vampire, looked as young as he chose to look, generally mid-thirties or so. It was a good age; old enough for other men to take him seriously, young enough for women's eyes to still follow him around a crowded room.

Nothing much really changed for him after his death. He was still hidden away in secret facilities, and no one would have believed he was really the eighty-six year old Nikola Tesla; except perhaps the Cabal, and a few people very highly placed here and there who knew what he really was. Unfortunately, some of those people were Nazis and other unpleasant types that would continue to look for him no matter how convincing his demise.

By the end of the war he was rather tired of the whole thing. He missed being able to go where he wanted and do what he wanted when he wanted to do it. But particle beam weapons, atomic bombs, and a great many other things were in his head and the US Government feared very much that some other nation or organization would find a way to extract them if they let him leave; he was more a prisoner than the POWs that were being repatriated.

As a vampire, he could have broken out, but he would have had to kill a number of soldiers to do it, and then he would be a hunted fugitive from his own government. His US citizenship was one of his prized possessions, and he intended to keep it in a clean and honorable condition. Besides, they knew him well enough they might be able to find him.

After everything he had done for the Allies, even governments felt a little guilty keeping him locked away. It wasn't right- he deserved a life. But it couldn't be as Nikola Tesla, there was no way to guard him for the rest of his natural life, which could be centuries or even millennia. So Nikola Tesla had to permanently disappear.

Nikola didn't like using a pseudonym, especially when the 3-star general in charge of hiding him in plain sight vetoed all the family names he suggested – Mandic, his mother's maiden name; Kalinic, his father's mother's maiden name; Budisavljevic, his mother's mother's maiden name, were all rejected- too unusual and easy to trace.

Nikola tried Duke for his mother Djouka, and Dane for his brother, whose name was spelled the same but pronounced Dahnay. No, and no. Frustrated, he suggested the name of his childhood cat- that, the general accepted, so he became "Nicholas Macak". Macak, of course, just meant "tom cat" so perhaps that was a good cover for him; being mostly celibate, no one would associate it with him.

So in early 1946, Nikola sent final messages to his friends bidding them farewell. There weren't that many- James, Nigel, and of course Helen. Little did he know he wouldn't see any of them again for sixty years- well, sixty-one and a half to be precise.

The general arranged background papers for him- a doctorate in physics from an undistinguished university, a wartime work record at a government facility, a birth certificate, and a Wisconsin driver's license. He would have preferred Colorado or New York, but he was told those were places that would be watched; he didn't mind Wisconsin. He had spent a year in Chicago and three years in Milwaukee with Allis Chalmers, so it wasn't entirely unfamiliar territory.

Of course he wouldn't be anywhere near a big city. He was known to like cities, to like big hotels and fancy restaurants, so he was to be buried in a small town teaching high school science. He demurred- high school, really, wasn't that a waste of his genius?

He was forbidden to go anywhere near a university. Universities had research programs, encouraged publishing and patenting by their staff, and any attempt to do either and he would be back in a secure facility as fast as Special Forces could get him there.

Well, they couldn't watch him forever, could they? In a few years people would stop looking for him, the government would give up watching him if he kept his head down. He expected to be bored half the time, but it was worth it to be free. And what were a few years to him, anyway? The world was still out there, and after a while he would just melt away into it.

They flew him to Madison accompanied by two agents seated apart from him on the plane. In Madison he was given the keys to a used 1938 Ford and a small house in a town of 20,000 people, some cash, and a bank book that showed the balance of the money he had earned from the government. He thought it a rather small amount, considering what he had done for them, but it was better than nothing; and the house and car were paid for, title and deed in his name.

It was colder in Madison than he was used to; he would need to buy an overcoat. Not that he was particularly cold, but he stood out from the crowd without one. He walked to the car carrying his two suitcases, and put them in the trunk. The rest of his things would be shipped to his new address, although there wasn't that much; he wasn't an accumulator, except for tools and experiments in progress, which the government had confiscated anyway.

He started the car, found he had a full tank of gas, and checked the map. It would be a three hour drive or more, he didn't know the condition of the roads. He had no reason to worry though, he was quite sure he would be followed and if he ran into difficulty help would miraculously appear. He pulled out of the parking lot, and was on his way to his new life.

A/N: This story will be slow coming out because I am still writing "The Lady and the Prince" on Fictionpress. But I miss playing with Nikola, so this is just a stand-alone until I finish the other story.


	2. Chapter 2 A New Home

Nikola turned into the driveway. It was mostly dirt with two strips of concrete that led to a one-and-a-half car garage in the backyard of his modest house. The drive had taken just under three hours to the town, but he'd driven around for a half hour to find the shopping areas, small hospital, and the side street indicated on the address he'd been given.

He left the car parked next to the house and went to the door to try the key. It worked, with a little encouragement, and he went in and explored. The house came mostly furnished; he was unimpressed by what he saw, but the slightly shabby not very expensive couch and chairs in the living room were probably in keeping with his new persona. Besides the nice-sized living room, there was a small empty room that he could use as a study or library or something, and a large kitchen/dining area, and a cubbyhole half bath. Upstairs there were two bedrooms and a full bath. He checked the full basement. There was quite a bit of room left over from the furnace and hot water heater, partially occupied by a refrigerator that he plugged in and an old wooden workbench in one corner.

He retrieved his suitcases from the car and dumped them in the larger bedroom. He got out a small notebook and started making a list of what he would need to buy immediately. He wasn't used to doing his own shopping, especially for things like linens, toilet paper, and soap, so he really did need the list.

The town had a Super Store, and he piled a cart high with housewares and basic necessities before he checked out. At the grocery he picked up a couple of bottles of unprepossessing wine, tea bags, paper and cleaning products, and bottled water. The rest of his food shopping would be done at the hospital.

The hospital staff was prepared for him. False medical records had been sent ahead showing he had a rare condition that prevented him making sufficient blood on his own, and he was to be provided whole blood and plasma on demand. The records made it clear he would be administering it to himself. He picked up what he needed, declining an offer of needles and IV equipment, just saying he had his own supply.

He could have done just as easily with animal blood, but a continuing need for it would have been hard to explain, unless he took up practice as a veterinarian. He had passed on that option; teaching high school was far less messy.

He spent the rest of the day putting the house in order, putting his clothes away, and finally garaging his car. He walked around the back yard a little; eventually he was going to need a lot of yard equipment to maintain it, or hire someone. He resolved to try to hire someone, mowing the lawn wasn't at all an attractive prospect. He had bought a snow shovel though; he knew he would still need it in Wisconsin in early March. There were unmelted mounds and patches of it and there would surely be more before spring.

He was only three or four blocks from the high school, but it was late afternoon already. He would go over in the morning and report in. For the rest of the semester he would be replacing an older man who had had a mild heart attack and decided to retire immediately. Or perhaps he had been bribed, spent a little time pretending to recover in the hospital, and then moved to Arizona. Nikola didn't know and didn't care.

He poured himself a glass of wine, put on his new overcoat, and went out and sat on the front porch on an Adirondack chair he had thoroughly cleaned, watching his neighbors come home from work and school. He didn't particularly want to be friends with them, but he was bored and didn't want to become the neighborhood mystery man either.

A large black sedan drove slowly past the house, and he recognized the driver as one of the agents that had been on the plane with him, with the other agent seated next to him. Both of them stared at him as they passed, and he raised his glass to them but got no reaction in return.

From the neighbors he got some curious looks and a wave or two, which he returned. When the man next door came home, he parked in his drive and walked over and said "Hi there, you just move in? Welcome to the neighborhood, I'm Ben Johnson."

Nikola set down his glass, got up, came down from the porch and shook hands. "I'm Nick Macak, I'm going to be teaching at the high school."

That was all Nikola had to say; Ben told him he worked as a grinder at a local tanker plant, had two children in grade school, complained about the neighbor on the other side of him who never got all the ice off of his sidewalk and another across the street that was too nosy.

Nikola nodded in the right places, and eventually Ben's wife stuck her head out of the door and said supper was ready. She was quickly introduced as Judy, and they both went in and left Nikola to go back to his porch.

The excitement, such as it was, was over though. The street was empty as people went inside to eat their dinners, so Nikola went in and had a pint of plasma himself. He turned on the radio for an hour to get the news, and then read a couple of scientific journals until late. He made up his bed, amused by the activity done by hotel maids for him for so many years, and quite sure he wouldn't find it amusing when he had to do it over and over again.

It was a little after eleven when he went to bed; all the other houses on the street were already dark.

He woke early, as he usually did, and decided to walk to the high school. He put on his overcoat, fedora, and gloves, and strolled down the street. As he approached the school, there were a few students entering and cars pulling into the parking lot. He found the office and went in, and told the receptionist who he was.

He had to wait for a few minutes, but then he was greeted by the assistant principal, a Mrs. Davis. She took him into her office and gave him what he was sure was a canned speech about how wonderful the school and the town were. She kept calling him "Mr. Macak". He considered correcting her, but perhaps it was better to let the doctorate slide into the background; he didn't want to stand out from the other teachers.

Eventually she got around to pertinent information. "Our science department is headed by Miss Peters, who teaches chemistry and biology. Mr. Riley is our general science teacher, and also teaches shop. You will have physics and geology, and could you manage one of the mathematics classes? As it is, poor Mr. Allen doesn't even get a lunch period."

"Yes, I can teach any math class you wish. Physics of course is my subject, and I could handle engineering if you wish, but I have absolutely no background in geology."

"Oh, don't worry about that, you will have the teacher's manual, and you only need to stay one step ahead of the students. We don't really have an engineering program, but perhaps we could offer an introductory class next year. Let me see, would you prefer fourth period lunch and fifth period algebra, or fifth period lunch and fourth period geometry?"

"Whichever is more convenient for Mr. Allen is fine with me."

"Good, then you will have Physics I first period, Geology second period, Study Hall monitor third period, lunch fourth period, Algebra fifth period, Physics II sixth period, and Geology seventh period as well. We require our students take a minimum of two years of science, so general science and geology are popular, as well as biology. I'm afraid we don't have a great many students for your physics classes, but we do like to offer all the sciences. Here is your schedule with the room numbers- you will have to change rooms for algebra and study hall- and now let me show you our teacher's lounge and cloakroom."

She showed him where to leave his coat and gave him the teacher's versions of the texts he would be using. He spent the rest of the day observing the classes he would be teaching, following along with the texts. The substitutes were trying, and didn't do badly in geology, but it was obvious to him they didn't know physics at all.

Third period study hall he spent the time reading up on geology. The older woman who had been handling the study hall smiled at him when he arrived, politely excused herself, and didn't return. He didn't care; with his acute hearing, he could catch any whispering, and he made a loud, pointed comment on whatever he heard. The room became very quiet. There was note passing going on, but he let that go; it didn't disturb him or the students who were reading or doing their homework.

Fourth period he had nothing to do, since he didn't eat lunch. He went to the lunch room, but found the odors unpleasant and went to the teacher's lounge. The odors there weren't much better since some of the teachers brought their lunch from home and were eating, but it wasn't as overpowering as the lunch room. Nevertheless he decided he could make most productive use of his time continuing with the geology text, and went back to the physics/geology classroom, currently empty.

He had been reading for nearly a half hour when there was a knock on the open door. He looked up, and found himself drawn to the attractive young woman standing there; he stood up politely.

She was tall and slender and pretty, her long, dark brown hair pulled back and clasped at the neck. She wore a plain, tailored dress with the skirt just below the knee- a little shorter than fashion dictated, but she had the legs for it he decided. Her shoes had low heels and little bows on them. She wore a plain gold necklace, no earrings, and no rings.

"Dr. Macak? I'm Sarah Peters, head of the science department. If you're not too busy, could we talk?"

"Of course." He indicated the geology text. "I'm just doing a crash course in geology."

She came over and sat down at a student desk in front of him, and he sat back down too. She said "I'm sorry about that, but this is a small school and most of us in the more advanced subjects have to double up on some of the more popular classes. That's why I teach biology as well as chemistry, although my Master's is in chemistry. I understand you have a doctorate in physics."

Nikola nodded. He didn't really, except for honorary degrees. When he had started, practical knowledge was far more important than a formal degree. But after so many years, he was well-versed enough in a number of sciences to claim the equivalent of a doctorate; he could certainly debate and out-argue those who actually held the degree, and show them a few things they didn't know as well.

"Well you're most welcome here at Westside High, but I was wondering why someone with a doctorate would choose to come to a small town high school to teach."

Nikola had anticipated the question and had an answer, although not one he liked. "During the war I worked very hard, very long hours on critical projects. You understand I cannot elaborate on that."

"Of course, I understand, someone in your position must have been working on classified projects."

"After a few years, the stress became too much, I began to have . . . problems. I also developed a physical condition, not serious with treatment you understand, that added to my difficulties. At the end of the war, I sought relief, a low stress job that would not tax me physically, but still provide a little challenge. Teaching high school in a small town sounded very good, a chance to relax while still engaging in my field, in a way."

"I see. And here we've gone and given you a full schedule, including a mathematics class. If it's too much, please say so now. As the head of the Science Department, Mrs. Davis should have consulted with me before giving away some of your time to the Mathematics Department."

"No, not at all. I expected to work the full day, and honestly, I am happier busy than with empty time to fill."

She smiled at him then, and it lit up her face. For a moment, Nikola forgot to breathe. He recovered himself, and on impulse asked "Miss Peters, what are the rules about staff interactions?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "Staff interactions? Well, of course I expect everyone to work together and assist each other as needed."

"No, I meant outside of work."

She caught on. "Doctor, if you mean dating, then I would tend to discourage it; it can lead to awkward situations that can interfere with work."

"But it's not against the rules?"

"Not precisely, no."

"I noticed a movie theater in town; would you go with me Friday evening?"

She seemed to be at a loss for words, so he added "Please? I don't know anyone here, and it would give us a chance to get to know one another better as well as make it less lonely for me."

"Well, if it is understood that we would be going as colleagues and that it is not a date, then yes, I will go with you. I live at 303 Elm Street, come by around 6:30; the show starts a little before 7:00."

He looked at her in surprise- she knew when the show started? She seemed to read his mind and said "Small town; the theater has had the same hours since I was in high school myself."

He smiled and said "Thank you, you are very kind, Miss Peters." She smiled back and stood and walked toward the door. "If you have any questions about the school or your classes, feel free to ask me, Dr. Macak."

Nikola kept smiling as she left, restraining himself from offering his first name or trying to move to a closer relationship right now. He had lots of time, there was no hurry, but he found he was really looking forward to Friday.

His reaction to Sarah Peters surprised him. He had been focused on Helen Magnus for so many years. She carried the Source Blood like he did, they had the same need for adventure, for accomplishment, and she was probably going to live a very long time, just as he was.

Sarah Peters was ordinary. An intelligent woman in a small town who would very likely never be famous, travel very far from her home, or in any way live an extraordinary life. And yet, there was something he found very attractive about her. Perhaps it was because she was so very different from Helen that she intrigued him; that could be part of it, but there was more he couldn't put a finger on.

And he wouldn't be seeing Helen for a few years, and she would never know what he had been doing except what he chose to tell her. Somehow, he doubted he would ever tell Helen about Miss Sarah Peters.


	3. Chapter 3 A New Job

Nikola had a great deal of experience lecturing to a hall full of other scientists or great crowds of ordinary people. But he had no experience at all teaching high school.

He had expected it to be quite simple, and in a way it was. He covered the material in a direct and orderly manner, using his extraordinarily precise writing on the blackboard and neatly diagramming on the board as well. Everything he taught was absolutely clear in his own mind. What he couldn't understand was the lack of understanding in his students.

The algebra class wasn't too bad, how could simple mathematics be confusing for anyone? He was going at the rate his inherited lesson plan indicated and the students overall were doing moderately well.

Geology was another matter entirely. Most of the students in both his classes were not scientifically inclined or interested in the subject, merely taking it to satisfy the school's science requirement. Nevertheless, it was not a hard subject to learn and he had difficulty understanding why so many of them didn't even pay very much attention in class.

The morning class was worse than the afternoon class. There were four large boys in the back of the class who insisted on making bad jokes and sarcastic remarks throughout his lecture. They also referred to him as "Doctor Milquetoast", which he did not appreciate in the least. They were quiet enough that he shouldn't have been able to hear them, but he did hear them and he wasn't too sure about what to do about it.

When he had gone to school, students respected their teachers. Well, except when they were wrong, which he had been forced to point out a number of times. But he had always started out respecting them; it had been up to the teachers to lose his respect from lack of knowledge of their subjects. And Nikola knew his subjects, even the geology now that he had read the textbook.

After the first day he taught the class, he checked the record book the substitute and previous teacher had left, and was disturbed to see all four boys had straight "C's". Not one "B" or "D" on a test, quiz, or homework assignment for any of them. He pulled the last test out of the file and reviewed their papers, and realized that two of them should have gotten "D's", and two had failed completely. Why had they been given grades they hadn't earned?

He had them stay after class one day, and confronted them. "Mr. Hardy, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Zalenski, and Mr. Pollock, you are not paying attention in class. Why is that?"

The four boys looked at each other, and Pollock, the largest of the four replied. "Gosh, Dr. Macak, we have to be here to get our science requirement. But what good is knowing about rocks and old stuff? It's not like we're ever going to use any of it in real life."

"No? What are you planning on doing with your lives, then, that does not require an education?"

The four boys looked at each other again and smirked. Pollock answered again "You really are new here; you don't even know who we are."

That make Nikola blink. These four boys were famous in some way? He found that difficult to believe, but played along. "I didn't know you were special. So enlighten me."

"We're the Fearsome Foursome." At Nikola's blank look, Pollock continued "You know, football? We're the front line, the best in the state. We're going to get scholarships to play in college, and then turn pro. All I need to know is how to block and tackle, and I'll end up richer than you, _Doctor_."

"You are all four failing or nearly failing this class. You do need to graduate high school to go to college, do you not?"

Hardy got angry and hissed "We pass this class and all our classes, because if we don't, we don't play, and if we don't play, the whole school hates you and bad things start to happen."

Zalenski chimed in "And Coach Burns gets real mad when his players don't pass. Coach Burns could snap a skinny guy like you in half."

Johnson added under his breath "Hell, I could snap him in two myself."

Nikola leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, contemplating the threat. Their Coach Burns would have no chance against him in a fight, of course, but it couldn't be allowed to come to that. He was under cover and trying not to draw attention to himself.

These boys expected to be given a passing grade- had been given passing grades without earning them. There was something very wrong here, and he needed to find out more in order to determine how to proceed.

"I see. I shall have to consider your words. For now, you may go."

The four boys laughed at him and left with a swagger. He had thought geology would be an easy class to teach, but he could now see his error. Apparently American high school was about more than classes and learning and he needed to come up to speed quickly. He would ask Miss Peters about it on Friday.

His physics classes were quite different. He had nineteen students in Physics I and fifteen in Physics II. These were all teenagers who wanted to be there, wanted to learn the subject. But they seemed to have a great deal of difficulty understanding what he told them in simple, plain language.

The few girls in the classes never raised their hands or tried to participate, although he didn't know why. Their grades were on a par with the boys, and one girl in his advanced class had been doing very well on the tests and was one of the brightest students in the class. But she never said a word during class, and would just shake her head if asked a direct question. That was something else to ask Miss Peters about.

What bothered him most, though was John Ochs. He was a small boy with glasses, who sat in the front row of the advanced class. He was clearly the class leader, had gotten all "A's" on previous tests, and was obviously very bright.

The first day he had raised his hand and asked questions, and Nikola had been pleased to answer them and even elaborate on the material. John had taken notes, writing furiously to capture all that Dr. Macak said.

The second day he still took copious notes, but had raised his hand less and his questions had become more basic and more tentative. Three or four other students had raised their hands and asked questions too. Nikola had liked the class involvement, and answered all questions thoroughly.

By Friday, John wasn't raising his hand any more, and the look in his eyes was starting to be a little desperate. Nikola realized if the smartest student in the class, one who cared very much about learning the material, didn't understand his lectures then he was losing the whole class. It was very quiet as he lectured, except for the scratching of pens.

Nikola was as frustrated as his students. He looked at his drawings on the board, and they were very clear. He could see exactly what he had been trying to show them, exactly how everything worked in three dimensions even though the board was only in two. But he had always been able to do that, see something in his mind and see how it worked without even building it. But he was Nikola Tesla, and his students weren't. There had to be a better way. Question number three for Miss Peters, but he wasn't sure she would be able to answer this one, not being a physics teacher.

At the final bell on Friday, he was as relieved as the students. He put his problems aside until after the movies, and resolved to enjoy himself until then. He went home and changed into something more casual, and then changed back into his suit. He didn't know dating, or in this case non-dating etiquette, or what he should wear. He would see what Miss Peters wore, and perhaps look around when they reached the theater and to see what other men on dates were wearing. He knew so much, but when it came to popular culture, he knew so very little.

When he backed his car out of the driveway, he found he was actually nervous. He had no difficulty finding her house, and pulled up into the driveway. Should he honk, or get out and go to the door? He didn't know what was expected, but he knew what was polite. He got out and went up to the front door and knocked.

It was answered by an older woman and at first he thought he had the wrong address. But she invited him in, explaining she was Mrs. Peters, Sarah's mother, and Sarah would be ready in a moment, would he like to sit down? He took off his hat and sat down with her in awkward silence that thankfully only lasted a minute or so.

Sarah came down the stairs and she was dressed more casually, in a simple skirt and sweater without any jewelry. So apparently he was overdressed, but she didn't seem to notice; very nice of her. He helped her on with her coat, and they went out to the car.

Small talk was not his forte, but the silence wasn't comfortable like it was with Helen. He said "So you live with your parents?" It sounded inane even to him.

"My mother. Dad passed away a couple of years ago, so I moved back home to help out."

"Ah. Do you have other family in the area?"

"Not really. I have an older brother in St. Louis; he's married and has three kids. What about you, do you have family locally?"

"No, my parents passed away years ago. My brother died when we were children, so I'm alone now." Sort of true, if one ignored his three sisters and all his nieces and nephews. But there was no way to explain why they all looked older than he did, and none of his family would know him to see him now anyway.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you like movies?" Sarah asked, moving off what might be a painful subject for Dr. Macak.

"I don't really know, I haven't seen one in . . . a very long time." In fact, the only time he had been to a movie was in the early days of development of the medium, simply to see how the technology worked.

They arrived, individually paid for their tickets, and went in. Sarah bought a large tub of popcorn, saying they could share it. They found seats and settled in with a few minutes to spare before the show started.

Sarah asked "So how have you found your first few days teaching at Westside, Dr. Macak?"

"Interesting, I think I am learning as much as my students." _Possibly more, considering that I've learned the geology text and many of my students don't seem to be learning very much at all._

"That's one thing I love about teaching. That, and encouraging and guiding young people. I just find it so rewarding, don't you?"

"Perhaps, when I've done it a while longer. How long have you been teaching?"

"This is my seventh year. Of course that's not very long, really, and I wouldn't be head of the department except we lost so many people to the war effort. Mr. Gilbert, the previous head, enlisted. He became an officer, but after his officer's training he stopped writing so we don't really know what happened to him. I hope he made it through all right, but we just don't know."

The theater lights slowly dimmed, and the movies started. There were previews and cartoons, and then a black and white war film about the Pacific theater.

Nikola pretended to take some popcorn occasionally, but actually took very little and just dropped it casually on the floor. The floor had already been full of litter from the early show when they came in, so it wasn't noticeable.

He soon lost interest in the film. It was mostly flag-waving, and everyone already knew who won, right? He spent the time looking around at the people and their reactions to the movie. In the dark he could examine Sarah by the light of the screen without being rude.

What was it about her that had attracted his eye? He finally decided that her nose and the shape of her face were very much like Katharine Johnson's, who had been so important a friend to him for many years. She had Anne Morgan's tawny eyes, and Anne had had such a crush on him, but she had worn too much jewelry. Sarah's slender hands reminded him of Marguerite Merington, pianist and at one time his favorite dinner partner. And her carriage, the confident way she moved, reminded him of Helen.

So many of his favorite women all rolled up into one attractive package; how could he not find her intriguing? But Sarah was of course completely oblivious to all those echoes from his past; she was herself, not really an amalgamation of those other women at all, he had to remember that.

The second feature was a light frothy musical in color. Nikola found it fascinating. It had almost no plot, people broke into song or danced for no reason, it was utterly predictable, and he loved it. He suspended his critical thinking, and just laughed and tapped his foot along with the rest of the audience.

Afterwards they went for coffee to a little restaurant nearby. Quite a few of the other movie-goers went too, so it was apparently a regular thing in this small town. They both ordered coffee, and Nikola finally got the chance to ask Sarah his questions.

"Miss Peters, there are a few things I have encountered in my classes this week that I would like to ask you about."

"Of course, any way I can help Dr. Macak, that's what department heads are for. Fire away."

"In my physics class, I have several female students, but none of them seem to want to participate in class even though some of them are good students otherwise. Can you explain this?"

Sarah took a long sip of her coffee. "That's the way it is, Dr. Macak. Girls in this country are told at a young age that because they are female they are not going to be good at math or science. And if they love it enough to pursue learning in those areas anyway, then they are considered not very feminine. Their teachers are all male, and often ridicule or belittle them in class."

Nikola wasn't very surprised, but he had hoped things had changed in the decades since he had been in school. "Did this happen to you?" he asked quietly.

Sarah nodded. "It did, but I was different. My Dad was a chemist, and he always encouraged and supported me. Most girls don't have that."

"So you continued through to your Master's degree, in spite of being discouraged by your teachers?"

"Yes. I'm not the only woman in science, Doctor, but there aren't as many of us as there should be."

"Perhaps you will continue on for your doctorate?"

Sarah smiled ruefully. "I doubt it. I have to support myself and help my mother. I don't have the time or the money to go back to school."

Nikola just nodded and dropped the subject. "I have another question. In my geology class there are four boys who play football. They have been given passing grades in the past, even though they have not earned them, and expect to continue to be passed without doing the work. What should I do about this?"

Sarah looked a little embarrassed. "Yes, I know, the athletes are often passed like that, especially the football players. You see, football earns money for the school. The better the team, the more people come to the games, the more tickets are sold. I think it's wrong, and I don't do it in my classes, but a lot of the teachers do and even more turn a blind eye to it. The administration pretends not to know, but they do. But I'm afraid you're in a rather bad position."

"Am I? In what way?"

"The team knows I won't give them free grades and they have to have two science classes, so they take General Science and Geology. Mr. Riley is an avid football fan, and I know he passes them, although I can't prove it. Your predecessor did the same thing, and they expect it now from you. They have to have it from you, or some of the most critical players will be off the team. I'm sorry, but you're going to get a lot of pressure, possibly even physical threats."

"What should I do?"

"We can't change the system, and I don't want you to get hurt. Do what you have to do. If you choose to pass them, try not to make it obvious. But if you decide to stand up to them I can't protect you from the backlash."

"Are you in any danger?"

"No, as a woman I'm immune to physical coercion from them. But you're not."

Nikola nodded. "I understand. I'll think about it, maybe I can come up with another alternative."

"I'm sorry you're having such difficulties your first week."

"I still have one more problem to discuss."

"You really did have a hard week. What else?"

"I don't seem to be getting through to my physics students. I'm trying and they're trying, but the information just isn't getting across. The material is explained in the book, I explain it to them, I draw pictures for them, but they're only getting some of it, and I can't see why they're not getting all of it."

"Physics is a difficult subject, and you're their third teacher this semester. Slow down a little; give them time to adjust to your style of teaching."

"You think that's all it is, just a period of adjustment?" Nikola's doubt was in his voice.

"I don't know, but try it."

"Thank you, I will. And thank you for your other advice as well. I didn't understand at first why there was a department head at all, but now I see. You guide us teachers, as well as the students. You have been very helpful, Miss Peters."

She gave him that full smile again, and he grinned back at her. He liked it when she smiled, it reminded him of . . . well, that didn't matter, this was now and he just liked her smile, that's all.

Nikola took her home then, and walked her politely to the door. She put out her hand to shake hands, and he had a momentary impulse to kiss it instead, but restrained himself. Too soon, too fast, don't scare her. He shook her hand gently and said good night.


	4. Chapter 4 Revising the Job

Saturday morning Nikola woke to multiple scraping sounds. He got up and looked outside. The world was white.

Overnight, snow had fallen, covering the gray slush along the edge of the roads and liberally decorating every tree and bush limb with a topping of white and bending the branches of the pines. Nikola's neighbors were out shoveling.

He dressed and went outside and joined them. It wasn't very cold, close to freezing, and the snow was heavy and wet. His neighbor Ben nodded and waved to him when he came out, and two boys were shoveling out the house on the other side of Nikola's. An older woman came to the door and paid them when they finished.

Nikola was a bit damp when he came in, so he made himself a cup of tea. He sat and drank it, wondering what he was going to find to do the rest of the day. When he finished, he washed the cup, then got out the ingredients for his medication and made up another month's supply. His hands did the work automatically, while something tickled at his mind that he couldn't quite capture. That took all of an hour.

He dusted and ran the carpet sweeper over the rugs. Nikola walked around and looked at the pictures on the walls, straightening as needed. Most of them were very generic, still lifes, landscapes, or sailing ship types that one might find in a hotel room. There were two sepia-toned portraits of someone's ancestors that he thought he might replace some time, but he didn't really care much about what was on the walls, he was just bored and knew it.

_This isn't going to work_ he thought_. I can't even find something to keep me busy for one weekend, what am I going to do for weeks, months, years, decades?_

He went down to the basement and looked at the old workbench. He could do something with that, surely. He could buy some tools and wood, and . . . build birdhouses? And bird feeders? Well, it would be something to do for a little while, and he'd never done that before. But he hadn't seen any pigeons around; his favorite city birds seemed to be missing in this small town, so he'd have to get a bird book too.

The snow was already mostly melted off of the street when he drove out to go to the book store, hardware store, and there had to be a lumberyard, right? There was, and he spent a couple of hours buying supplies for his project. At the hardware store though he bought a lot of tools- hammers, saws, wrenches, screw drivers, drills, planes, sand paper, tape measure, T-square, miter box, nails, screws, paint, wood stain and varnish, and little of everything else he saw. Well, the government wasn't going to object, was it? He could hardly build a death ray out of wood- at least he didn't think he could. He put that train of thought out of his mind, before he thought of a way to do it and got himself in trouble.

When he got it all in his car he looked at it and had another moment where he thought there was something he should know, but couldn't quite grasp it. He took his mind off of whatever it was. His subconscious had been working on his problems overnight, and had come up with something, he knew the feeling. He just had to wait until the idea gelled and came to his conscious mind.

At the lumberyard he picked up some plywood, and other small boards. He had the yard cut everything into chunks he could fit in his car and headed home where he unloaded it all and lugged it into the basement.

He spent a couple of hours reading the bird book, and now could identify a lot of the various types he had seen in his yard. Chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, cardinals, starlings, and dark-eyed juncos were common as well as red-bellied and hairy woodpeckers. There should also be mourning doves, which were very similar to pigeons, but he hadn't seen any yet. Perhaps he could attract some.

He put down the book and stared at the wall. He could and would amuse himself for a few weekends with bird houses and feeders, but what was he going to do after that?

It suddenly occurred to him that he had been teaching physics for nearly a week and no one had mentioned a physics lab. There had to be one, didn't there? Maybe not in a small school, but that was the problem in a nutshell. He could visualize what he was teaching with no difficulty, but he was Nikola Tesla, and his students . . . weren't. They didn't see what he saw, he needed to be able to show them . . . _show them._ That was the key he was missing.

No, don't show them; let them show themselves, they'll learn better with hands-on experience. Excited, he looked for a phone to call Miss Peters, but then realized he'd never made any arrangements to acquire one. Okay, chore for later, but right now he grabbed his coat, got in his car and drove to her house.

He found her unloading bags of groceries from her car and went to help her. He said "Hello, Miss Peters" and she turned from her car with a bag in her hands that he took from her. "I can take a couple more" he added.

"Dr. Macak, I wasn't expecting you . . ."

"I know this is sudden, but I had to ask. Is there a physics lab?"

She handed him more groceries and said "No, we only have one room for a lab and it's devoted to biology and chemistry. I don't think we could squeeze physics in too."

"Could we find a room to use for physics?" he asked as he followed her in the back door to the kitchen.

"I suppose we could look Monday . . ."

"What about as soon as you have your groceries put away?"

"The school would be locked . . ."

"But we could borrow a key, surely."

"Dr. Macak, I admire your enthusiasm, but even if we borrowed a key and found a room, it would have to be set up as a lab, and we don't have any equipment for it anyway. The department's budget is very small . . . couldn't you just do your experiment on your desk?"

"I don't want to do an experiment; I want the students to do lots of experiments. And I'll figure out a way to manage within your budget. Please?"

Sarah looked at him, perplexed. The whole idea sounded so off-the-wall, but she rarely saw this kind of enthusiasm in a teacher. It wouldn't hurt to just see if she could borrow a key and look around would it? Chances were good that the idea would die there, she couldn't think of any available rooms at the school.

"If you fetch the rest of the groceries from the car, I'll call Mrs. Davis and see if she'll let us borrow her key; she lives between here and the school."

Mrs. Davis didn't want to loan out her keys, but she did agree to come with them to the school and help them look for a room. At the school she opened the outer door and they went in and walked through the halls, looking at every door. She and Miss Peters could identify what was behind each one. When they reached a storeroom, the two women passed it by, but Nikola stopped.

"Could we look at it? How big is it?"

Mrs. Davis opened the door and turned on the lights. It was a fair-sized room littered with extra chairs and desks, some of them broken, athletic equipment, empty boxes, and unidentifiable odds and ends. There was a closet as well, full of boxes of school decorations.

Nikola walked around nodding and rubbing his hands. "This would do very nicely. I could get five or six tables in here, and store more experiments in the closet. I can use the empty boxes, and if you ladies have any extra I would like them as well- shoe box size and larger."

Mrs. Davis started to object "But all this . . ."

"The athletic equipment should be stored by the athletic department, shouldn't it? The broken furniture should go to the dump . . . the town does have a dump?" At the ladies' nods he continued "and surely the extra desks and chairs could be put here and there in the classrooms. And the decorations . . . ?"

Sarah was starting to get excited too; this might really happen, maybe they could have a physics lab. She said "There are empty cabinets in the teacher's lounge, and we could put the bigger boxes in the teacher's cloakroom, we only use about half the space any way."

"And there are some tables I could have for my lab?" Nikola liked the sound of the words "my lab", even though this wasn't going to be anything like his own labs had been.

"There are the folding tables we use for special events, I suppose you could have some of them for a physics lab" Mrs. Davis said. "That certainly would be a better use for this space. All right, Miss Peters, if you and Dr. Macak are willing to do the work, I'll clear it with the principal on Monday."

She loaned them her building keys and Sarah drove her home. By the time Sarah came back, Nikola had cleared out the closet and sorted the furniture into usable and trash. He'd lugged the athletic equipment down to the PE department and left it inside their main office for the head of the department to sort out. They both moved the good furniture into the backs of various classrooms, and then loaded as much of the broken stuff into their cars as would fit. Nikola followed Sarah to the dump, but made a detour home to pick up tools on the way back. He disassembled the bigger items and they made a second trip to the dump.

Back at school, Nikola wiped off the closet shelves, and Sarah got a bucket and mop from the janitor's closet and mopped the floor. Nikola loaded the empty boxes in his car. The floor dried quickly in the dry winter air, and Nikola fetched one of the heavy tables. When Sarah saw him with it she hurried forward and said "Nick, those are heavy, let me help you. Oh, I'm sorry Doctor . . ."

Nikola grinned and said "Call me Niko, please, and I'm fine I don't need help. I'm much stronger than I look."

"Yes, I see you are. You can call me Sarah, although not at school of course."

"Of course" Nikola agreed; decorum must be maintained in front of the children, after all.

Nick set up the table with the short side against the wall, and brought two tables at a time the next two trips. He could see Sarah was impressed, which was the point after all.

While he set up tables, Sarah asked "Niko is an unusual nickname for Nicholas. Is it a family name?"

"Sort of, my mother used to call me that when I was little. I don't let just anyone use it, only people I like."

"Well, I'm flattered, but I hardly know what I did to deserve it."

Nikola walked over, stood right in front of her, and said "You're you. That's enough, isn't it?"

Sarah blushed, not knowing what to say. Nikola smiled and shrugged, and went back to work. When he had five tables arranged to suit, he stood back and admired the room.

Sarah said "It's very nice, but also very empty. How are you going to turn it into a lab?"

"Mechanics, optics, electricity, magnetism" Nikola muttered, looking from table to table. "I can create experiments using simple inexpensive things; what I need is accurate, sensitive measuring devices to get real data that will show the children how the experiment relates to the real world and enforces the formulas we learn in the classroom. How much do you have in your budget?"

Sarah told him and he made a face. "That won't do, I'll need photocell timers, oscilloscopes, stroboscopic cameras, things like that. Let me think about it." Nikola could use his own money, but if he bought that kind of equipment he expected those government agents would be at his front door in a heartbeat.

They locked up when they left. On impulse Sarah asked him "Would you like to come to dinner? It would just be potluck, whatever Mom is making."

"Thank you, but I have a great deal to do by Monday_." And I doubt potluck includes blood or plasma. _ At her disappointed look he added "My medical condition requires a very specific, limited diet. I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to be a very good dining companion."

But he wanted to spend time with her. He said "Tomorrow, could you help me design and assemble some experiments?"

"There's church in the morning. Do you go to church, Niko?"

"Not usually, but perhaps I should try yours. Which one do you go to?"

Sarah told him the church, address, and time for services and he said "I'll be there." In truth, he'd had had enough of church as a boy since his father had been a priest, and he usually considered it a waste of his time. But his time wasn't very valuable right now, so why not waste some with Sarah?

Nikola stopped at the Five and Dime on the way home and picked up a lot of small items such as magnets, mirrors, and small pulleys. He already had a few ideas about the experiments he was going to create for the children.

At home he ate, and took a glass of wine with him down in the basement along with his bird book. He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and spent the evening happily sawing and hammering.

Sunday morning he dressed in one of his better suits, better by definition being one he thought he looked good in. He joined Sarah and her mother at church and sat politely through the service. It wasn't as boring as he expected since it was different than the Serbian church he had attended as a boy, but it didn't interest him overmuch either. Afterwards, Sarah went home to eat with her mother, but promised to come to his house by one o'clock to help with the experiments.

When she arrived, Nikola took her coat and asked "You're not concerned about what people will think, the two of us being alone together?" He really wasn't sure what the prevailing thoughts were on the subject. The Victorians would have been appalled, but Helen had always ignored such things, and he didn't have any more recent experience to go by.

"No, we're colleagues working on a project. I think my reputation is quite safe, but if anyone cares to make anything out of it, well, I just don't give a fig."

Nikola grinned. Yep, very much like the good sense and independence he had always admire in Helen. They sat down at his kitchen table with the physics texts and his pile of miscellaneous items and started brainstorming possible experiments. Nikola already knew fairly well what he wanted, but Sarah came up with some interesting possibilities too. Even though she was not a physicist, she could see the principles in the books and she knew scientific method. Nikola was impressed with her intelligence and ability to adapt to a different science so easily.

Every time their hands touched or they reached for the same item at the same time, Nikola slid his eyes to her face, and she glanced back shyly with a little smile. After four hours they had assembled five experiments, with four more designed but missing pieces. Nikola put the five complete ones in boxes and labeled them.

"I'll come in early tomorrow and set them up" he said. "I think I can complete these others in a day or two, I just need to go to the store. The kids can use them as I complete them, but they'll be better once we get measuring devices better than a tape measure and a clock with a second hand. Is it okay to take my class off campus?"

"To where?"

"I noticed an auto junkyard when we went to the dump. Lots of physics in a gasoline engine."

"That's an . . . unusual idea. You'd need permission from their parents, and the children would need to wear old clothes. I'll leave permission slips in your mailbox in the teacher's lounge. If you can convince their parents and the owner of the junkyard, it's all right with me."

"I'll try to set it up for a Saturday once it gets warmer, that way the girls can wear slacks. At least they won't be bored and they'll learn something."

"If you say so, Niko. Have you decided what you're going to do about the football players?"

Nikola just shook his head. "I'm still looking for another alternative."

"I hope you find one, I really do. Mother's expecting me home, I need to go."

"Sarah, could I kiss you goodbye?"

"Dr. Macak! Absolutely not. We haven't even been on a date, remember?"

"So could we go on a date?"

She gave him a long look. "Friday night. Do you like bowling?"

"I've never tried it, but I'm willing to make the attempt, especially if it counts as a date."

"It counts. I'll see you at school tomorrow, Niko."

_Baby steps, baby steps_.


	5. Chapter 5 Arrangements

Monday Nikola took both his physics classes to his new lab. He had posted a sign that said:

RULES

There is no lab manual. Do what you want.

When you are done put everything back in groups as you found them.

At first the students weren't sure what they were supposed to do. When they asked him, Nikola just shrugged and said "Learn something." Eventually a few of the bolder ones started playing with his experiments, and he just hung back and watched, occasionally making a suggestion or linking what they were doing to what was in the textbook.

Before long, everyone was engaged, including the girls. Nikola was pleased to see one of the girls manipulating his experiment on magnetism while another girl and two boys looked on, making suggestions.

Tuesday in class he asked students about what they had seen and done, and found everyone still engaged and willing to discuss their experiences in the lab. Maybe he wasn't imparting as much information as when he lectured, but he thought the children were learning more.

Wednesday he gave a quiz to his geology class; his four football players got a D and three F's. He marked the grades in big red letters and handed them back on Thursday. Thursday he also took his physics classes back to the lab, where he had completed and set up four new experiments. The children loved it, and he loved their enthusiasm. He might make a scientist out of one or two of them yet.

On his lunch hour Friday he went to see Coach Burns. By now he was sure the four football players had run and told on him to their coach, so it was time to have a little talk. He really would rather have just vamped and made the man wet himself, but that sort of thing could quickly get him in trouble. First there would be stories and rumors, the next thing people would start to believe there was something odd or different about him. Or something about him would end up in the little local paper as a human interest story, and the government would have him back in a locked room somewhere.

Coach Burns was in his office having his own lunch. The door was open so Nikola sauntered in and said "Coach Burns, allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Nicholas Macak, and unless things change, I will be flunking some of your football players in geology."

Coach Burns stopped eating and stood up. He was just a little taller than Nikola, but about twice as wide and heavily muscled.

"You're the pipsqueak that's giving my guys a hard time? Maybe nobody explained to you how things work around here."

"Why don't you explain it?" Nikola asked flippantly, obviously not intimidated.

"Sports are a big deal around here. There ain't many ways for these kids to make good and get out of this Podunk town, see? Football, basketball, baseball, those are the tickets out to the good life. And it ain't right for you or anybody else to stand in their way, especially for some stupid useless class like geology."

"An education is never useless Mr. Burns."

"That's Coach Burns, buddy. 'Coach' is a title I'm proud of, it's better than that pantywaist 'doctor' of yours. Professional sports players don't need geology, they need coaching, physical conditioning, and practice. Do you know how many hours my guys put in in the gym doing conditioning every week? And there are all the practices, and the games. These guys don't have time for studying, and it's not fair to treat them the same as the other kids who don't do nothing else except go to class."

"Sports are extracurricular activities. Classes are the main point of school."

"You just don't get it, do you? I can tell just from looking at you, you never played sports and have no clue what you're talking about. You just pass my guys, you understand?"

"Your 'guys' will get the grades they earn. Instead of denigrating education, why don't you try encouraging them to keep up with their schoolwork as well as play your games? What happens to one of these boys who sustains a serious injury and has to drop out of sports when he hasn't received a proper education up to that point?"

"That almost never happens; my guys are tough."

"Then what happens when they get to college and find out their great high school level talent isn't enough to make it on a college team, or they're not good enough to turn pro? What are they supposed to do with their lives when they're twenty years old and can barely read and write? How are they supposed to make a living, dig ditches?"

"Hey, my guys are great; they are not going to end up digging no ditches. You just do your part and pass them, or else."

Nikola was tempted to make him spell out the threat, but had another thought. "So you can tell from just looking at me that I'm no good at sports?"

Coach shrugged. "If you were a little taller and more coordinated, you might have a shot in basketball, but yeah, you're one of those guys that can't throw a ball or run more than ten feet without falling down in a faint."

"So anyone I could beat at sports must be pretty inept. A guy like that would have no chance to become a professional sports player."

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"Are you a betting man, Coach?"

"Sometimes" Coach Burns replied warily.

"Well I'll make a wager with you. If I lose, I'll give all your players C's. If I win, you encourage your players to do the best they can in their classes, and they get the grades they earn, in all their classes, not just mine, with no repercussions for the teachers."

"That's a pretty big bet. I could lose half my teams. What's the game?"

"You decide; best three out of five sporting contests, one on one between you and me. You can't lose, right?"

"You gotta be kidding. You think you could take me at anything physical? I mean look at us."

Nikola just gave him a slow smile. "I might surprise you."

The coach didn't have to think about it very long. He reached out a meaty paw and said "You got a bet, Doc." Nikola shook his hand, letting the bigger man squeeze his hand painfully without squeezing back.

"I'll let you know by the end of the day what the contests will be, so you can stay up all night practicing if you like; won't do you no good anyway. We do it tomorrow here at school at two. Okay?"

"Okay, but I don't want a big audience." _The fewer people to talk about my unexpected athletic abilities, the better._

Coach Burns snorted "I'll bet you don't! Don't want everybody laughing at you, huh?"

"One or two people each, just to verify the results and make it official." _And so you can't deny the bet ever took place._

"I'll bring a couple of my team captains. Who are you going to bring?"

"I think my department head should be a witness, and I'll let her select a second person."

"You're going to regret this Doc, but I'm glad you came up with the idea. Easiest way to convince a new teacher I ever saw, plus I get to wipe up the field with you." Burns crowed.

"I'll expect your list of contests before the final bell. Please be specific; you wouldn't want me to be able to get out of the bet because you weren't clear about what I should expect, right?"

"Don't worry, it'll be clear as a bell."

Nikola nodded and went off to teach his fifth period class. He was pleased that he had said three out of five, since there were some things he was likely not going to be good at. Superior strength and speed would certainly give him an edge, but he recognized that there were specific skills he had never attempted. If the Coach came up with five of those he could lose, but he felt the odds were in his favor.

He caught Sarah between classes and told her what he had done. Her response was "Are you insane? You can't possibly win."

"I'm stronger than I look, remember?"

"Yes, but . . . do you think you could win? It would certainly be a good way to stop what's going on."

"I'm going to do my very best. Can you help me prepare and come watch tomorrow at two? Oh, and who else should come and be a witness?"

"Niko, I'll do everything I can to help you win short of cheating. I'll ask Mrs. Davis. If you win, she can circulate the word to the other department heads that the physical threat is gone and she won't be turning a blind eye anymore to giving those boys unearned grades."

"I'll let you know when I get the list of contests. I might need some equipment to practice with."

"You can borrow whatever you need from the school. Have you ever played any sports?"

Nikola shook his head. "I've never had the time. If I have to do something involving football or basketball it would help if I could get the feel of the ball before I have to perform with it."

"Oh dear. Didn't you even have gym class when you went to school?"

"No, no gym class."

I'll come to your classroom after last period and go over the contests with you."

Nikola got the note from Coach Burns at the beginning of seventh period, but just shoved it in his pocket until after class. After the final bell, Sarah came into his classroom and just said "Well, how bad is it?"

"I don't know, I haven't read the note yet." He pulled it out of his pocket and read:

Baseball throw. Three tries each, longest throw within a thirty foot wide course wins.

Basketball free throws, best of ten tries. If tied at the end of ten, contest continues in groups of five until one wins.

Push-ups. Most in five minutes, person from opposition counts.

Placekicking. Two attempts each at twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty yards. Whoever makes the most wins. If tied, kicking continues from forty yards until one makes it and the other don't.

Mile run. Four times around the quarter mile track, whoever finishes first wins.

"Well that's interesting" Nikola said. "I think I'll need to practice the basketball and the kicking- placekicking, is that football?"

"Yes. Do you have gym shoes or running shoes?"

Nikola looked down at his leather shoes. "I don't suppose these will do. Will you go shopping with me?"

"We were supposed to go bowling tonight, but we can go shopping instead and bowl some other time."

"Is shopping a date?"

"No, that's not a date."

"Can we go bowling tomorrow night then?"

"Won't you be too tired?"

Nikola looked at the list again. "This can't take more than a couple of hours, so no, I don't think so."

"Let's go get you some shoes, then we can come back and you can try basketball and football. We can practice tomorrow morning, too."

Nikola thought of something. "Do I need special shoes for bowling too?"

"Yes, but you can rent them."

He looked at her, horrified. "Rent shoes? That all sorts have people have already worn, and put them on my feet? No, no, no, absolutely not, that's disgusting. Can we buy bowling shoes too?"

"Do you really want to spend money on a pair of shoes you might only wear once or twice?"

"Yes, absolutely. I want my own shoes for everything" he said with great conviction. They went sport shoe shopping and Nikola bought whatever Sarah said he might need. Even if he only wore each pair once, he considered it money well spent to avoid having to put on shoes used by other people; and not by just one person, but by lots of people. Nikola wondered how anyone could stand to do something like that. The mere thought of it made him shudder.

Afterwards they stopped at Mrs. Davis' house and explained to her what was going on. She was excited at the prospect of putting an end to the free grades practice and told Sarah she could just keep the school keys until Saturday, and Mrs. Davis would get them back from her after the match.

They got some footballs and tees in the athletic department and went out to practice kicking first before it got too dark. On his first try Nikola topped the ball and it fell over and rolled a few feet, and he fell hard on his rear. The next try sent the ball up in the air, but mostly up in the air rather than forward. He kicked it off to the side, he kicked it all over the place, and by the time he finally put one between the goal posts, they were both tired of chasing footballs.

Basketball was a little better. Since he only had to stand at the free throw line and aim at the basket, at least they didn't have to chase the balls very far. It seemed to Nikola it should be easy, but it was harder than it looked. He finally managed to get a few in, but by that time he could tell Sarah was very tired, so he quit for the night. They went to their respective homes, agreeing to meet back at the school at nine for more practice.

At home, Nikola sat down, closed his eyes, and visualized throwing the basketball and having it swoosh through the hoop. He had done it correctly several times, so he knew that he could do it, he just had to do it consistently. He did the same with the kicking, but he was less sure about what he had done right and what he had done wrong. And he had only tried from twenty yards, he was sure the longer distances would be different.

In the morning, he found his basketball had improved. He wasn't sinking every shot, but at least the ones he missed were close. After basketball, they went all the way out to fifty yards to practice kicking. It was much different than kicking from twenty yards; he had no trouble with the distance, but his accuracy was still lacking. Well he might not win the placekicking contest, but at least he wouldn't look like a total idiot.

He tossed a baseball a couple of times, no problem. Sarah checked his form on push-ups to make sure he understood exactly what he was supposed to do. Running was running, he saw no need to practice really, but he trotted once around the track just to satisfy her.

He took her to lunch. She had a sandwich and a soda, he just had tea. Sarah asked "Are you sure that's enough? You won't have much energy with just tea. If you can't eat anything on the menu, we could go to your house."

"I'm fine" he assured her. "I usually only eat once a day, so I really don't need anything now.'

"Niko, I hope you win; I know you'll do your best. But if you don't, I won't think less of you. You came up with a good idea and I just hope it works. If not . . ."

"Then I will have to give the lazy football boys C's whether they deserve them or not. That would be much harder than anything I'm doing in the contest."

"I know. I understand how you feel, I feel the same way. But you have to keep your word if you lose."

"Yes, I do. But I'm not going to lose."

"I hope you're right."

"Sarah, you must understand. I'm Nicholas Macak, I'm always right."


	6. Chapter 6 The Contest

Nikola and Sarah arrived at the school to find Mrs. Davis, Coach Burns, and two athletic looking young men waiting for them. They all went out to the football field to start the contest. Nikola noticed a couple of figures high up in the stands inappropriately dressed in gray overcoats and dark suits. No one else seemed to notice them, or didn't care if they did, so he just ignored them too. He wasn't planning to vamp in public, so he didn't care if his agents watched.

The first contest was the baseball throw. Someone had used one sideline and a couple of stakes with some string to mark out a 30-yard-wide alley. The coach was dressed in sweats; even though the sun was shining it was still chilly out, and everyone else still wore winter coats. Nikola took off his coat and suit jacket in consideration of the nature of the contests about to begin, but was quite comfortable in his suit slacks and vest, shirt and tie. The two boys with the coach sniggered a bit at him, but he just smiled back. Let them laugh now, wait until the end and see who would be laughing.

Nikola went first. He tried to throw the baseball far enough to be impressive, but not so far as to be unbelievable for a human. He wasn't sure he entirely succeeded in the second part of that from the scowl on Coach Burns' face.

The coach's first throw was twenty yards short. Nikola just gestured for him throw again. The second was closer, perhaps only ten yards behind Nikola's toss. The third try was almost up to Nikola's, but went out of bounds. One of the boys tried to argue that the coach should get a do-over, but Coach Burns shut him up. Apparently the coach was planning to win or lose fairly, and Nikola could respect that if not his attitude towards education. Game to Dr. Macak.

They went inside and changed shoes for basketball. Coach Burns went first, making four of five baskets; then tossed the ball to Nikola. He also made four of five. The coach repeated his performance, making four of his last five for a total of eight out of ten. Nikola missed his first attempt, made three in a row, but had his last shot circle the rim and bounce out. Game to Coach Burns. The boys with the coach fist-pumped the air, cheered loudly, and pointed at Nikola and jeered. Nikola really thought someone should teach them some manners, but that wasn't his job, at least not today. But the coach said "Nice shooting, for a rookie" and Nikola politely thanked him.

They stayed indoors for the push-ups. One of the boys came over and counted for Nikola while Sarah counted for the coach, and Mrs. Davis timed them. When they started, Nikola watched the rate that Burns was doing his push-ups and went just a little faster for the first two minutes. He was ahead by twelve at that time, but saw the coach start slowing down, so he did too. He guessed he was supposed to be getting tired, but his vampire physiology could literally do push-ups all day long without straining. At the end of five minutes he was an even twenty ahead. Game to Dr. Macak. The boys just glared at him; Nikola smiled and nodded back like they were congratulating him instead.

They went outside and changed shoes again. The two young men with the coach whispered to each other while peering at him, but Nikola just ignored them. Out on the football field, Nikola noticed four familiar faces in the stands. His four geology students weren't supposed to be there, but he let it pass. Maybe they would learn a little respect for their tall, thin science teacher. The agents were still there too.

Nikola deferred to Coach Burns to start the placekicking contest. He wanted to watch his technique. The coach made both his attempts at 20 yards, and Nikola really couldn't tell much about proper methodology from what he did. He just backed up a certain number of steps, over two steps, and then ran up and kicked the ball.

Nikola ignored what he had just seen and followed his own method from his practices. He was pleasantly surprised to put both his kicks between the goalposts as well. From 30 yards, Coach Burns made both kicks, but Nikola only made one, the second going wide to the left. From 40 yards the coach made one field goal, and Nikola made one as well to his surprise. He considered the kick he had made pure serendipity, and was pleased with his performance so far, even though he was behind.

At 50 yards the coach missed both tries, one off to the side and the other short. Both Nikola's kicks were long enough, but both missed, one off to either side. Game to Coach Burns. So now he and the coach had both won two games, and it was down to the mile race. That suited Nikola just fine, and was in line with his expectations. He was pleased with the way the contest was going, he had at least made a decent showing even when he lost, and he certainly had a chance in the mile run.

Sarah and Mrs. Davis were still smiling too. They had applauded when Nikola performed well, and said supportive things like "You'll get it next time" when he missed at something. It didn't make a bit of difference in the outcomes, but Nikola found it pleasant to have someone cheering for him. The coach's two witnesses were loudly doing the same, and the four boys in the bleachers were echoing them.

Sarah sat with him while he changed into track shoes. She asked "Niko, do you have a strategy? Have you ever actually run a mile?"

"No, not really. I guess I'll just try to stay with the coach and overtake him at the finish. Or do you think I should start out faster and let him try to catch me?"

"I don't know very much about foot racing, but I suppose it would be best to be able to keep an eye on where he is so he doesn't surprise you at the end. Do you have a kick?"

"Do I have a what?"

"A kick. You know, a burst of speed at the end of the race."

Nikola thought about that. As a vampire he could augment his speed for a short time to move faster than any human. But only in vampire form and he couldn't really vamp out on the track in front of everyone. Well, maybe he could just a little bit. His eyes would change, and his teeth would get a bit pointy, but as long as he didn't let his claws out . . .

"I think I might have a little kick. I've never run a mile, so I'm not really sure."

Sarah chuckled a little, to Nikola's surprise. "Niko, you are one of a kind. Any other man would have at least practiced everything once, but not you. You have more confidence in yourself than anyone I've ever known."

Nikola bent toward her and said quietly so only she could hear him "That's because I'm just so very good at everything, haven't you noticed?"

Sarah shook her head, still smiling. "No I haven't, actually. Now just go and win the race that's an order."

"Yes Ma'am."

He and the coach lined up at the starting line, and when they both said they were ready Mrs. Davis said "Go!"

Nikola was in the second lane, so he dropped in behind Coach Burns and just tried to stay close. The coach moved out quickly, and Nikola was soon breathing hard. He couldn't use his vampire speed augmentation for very long, so he needed to keep up on his own. If he couldn't, he would lose.

He was strong enough, but he needed to move oxygen more efficiently from his lungs into his bloodstream and to his muscles. He could make that adjustment without vamping, so he concentrated on that for a little while and fell a few steps behind. But once he had the higher level of oxygen in his blood, he was able to catch up.

When they passed the starting line for the last time, Mrs. Davis called out "Bell lap!" Nikola assumed that meant the last lap, and moved up next to the coach on the backstretch. He was on the outside but still started to pull ahead on the final turn. Unfortunately, it seemed the coach had a kick himself and pulled even. Nikola saw the two agents had come down from the stands and were standing just a few yards back from the finish line; he wasn't going to be able to vamp at all. He and Coach Burns passed the finish line nearly side by side.

Both of them were winded and stood panting while the boys claimed Coach Burns had won, and Mrs. Davis said no, Dr. Macak had edged him out at the wire. Nikola thought he might have at that, but he wasn't sure.

Sarah came over to see if he was all right. "Just breathe" she said. "Sit down if you have to and rest a minute." Nikola shook his head and straightened up. "I'm okay." If he could get out of sight and vamp he would be more than okay immediately.

He went over to the coach who was also mostly recovered. Nikola asked "So who won?" He was interested in what the coach would say; would he try to be fair or just bluster and claim victory?

Coach Burns shook his head. "I'm not sure. It was really close. You ran a good race, Doc. I think I might have beat you on the last step, but without a photo finish, there's no way to be sure. So we did all this, and didn't settle anything."

Nikola stepped in close and said quietly "We could just go into the locker room and settle it ourselves, just the two of us."

The coach gave him a quizzical look. "Really? You wouldn't have a chance against me, I boxed Golden Gloves as a kid, came in third."

"I'll risk it" Nikola said to him quietly. Then he turned to the others and said more loudly "The coach and I are going to go discuss the outcome of the race by ourselves in the locker room."

Once inside, Nikola put a hockey stick through the door handles so they wouldn't be disturbed. He turned to the coach and fully vamped.

Coach Burns' eyes widened in shock and he paled "What the Hell? What _are _you?"

"The winner" Nikola said in his deep vampire voice, stalking closer.

The coach gathered himself. "The Hell you say. Just because your eyes are all weird . . ."

Nikola opened his mouth and held up his hands so the coach could get a good look at his fangs and claws as he continued to move closer in a threatening manner.

But the coach stood his ground, assuming a boxing stance and bringing up his fists; his hand were shaking. Nikola didn't want to draw it out any more, so he moved in at vampire speed, grabbed the coach by the front of his sweats and neck, and lifted him up in the air one-handed.

"I won, didn't I" Nikola stated. Coach Burns gurgled something that sounded more like "yes" than "no", so Nikola put him down. "And you've never noticed anything unusual or strange about me, right?"

The coach took a step back and his eyes went left and right, but there was no way out. Holding his throat with one hand, he reluctantly nodded. Nikola de-vamped. Terrifying the man had worked well in getting his agreement, but Nikola didn't want to leave him in that state. That's how one acquired long-term enemies, and he did respect the coach's courage; not many people would have tried to fight him in his vampire form.

"Look, I'm the result of an experiment during the war that went a little wrong." Nikola didn't specify which war, so that much was true since there was always a war going on somewhere in the world. "I was used during the war effort to defeat the Nazis." Also true, but it was his intelligence that had mattered, not his vampire form.

But the coach was listening intently, believing him. Nikola continued "I'm Top Secret. Did you notice the two guys in suits that showed up to watch? They're government agents; if they find out you know about me, well . . ." Nikola made a motion across his throat with his finger.

Coach Burns nodded slowly. "But you're a monster, how come they let you loose?"

"I'm not a monster. I'm just a little different, have some extra abilities, but inside I'm just as human as you are" _or as you would be if you had already lived ninety years or so_.

"Okay, okay, I get it. You're a Top Secret war hero, and the government is hiding you out here. But that girl, Miss Peters? I hear you two are getting chummy. Does she know? 'Cause it ain't right, you going around with her if she doesn't."

Nikola was surprised. The coach was going to stand up to him again, after Nikola's demonstration? "That's none of your business."

"Hey, I'm a red-blooded American male, and there's no way I ain't going to protect a sweet innocent American girl, no matter what."

The vampire nodded a little to himself and replied "We haven't even gone on a date yet. But if things progress as I hope they will, then I'll tell her myself. Believe me, I mean no harm to Sarah Peters."

"You give me your word on that?"

"Yes, absolutely."

The coach put out his hand, Nikola took it and they shook. This time Nikola matched his grip, and squeezed just a little bit harder. Coach Burns grimaced a little and when they finished, wiggled his fingers.

"Okay, I'll tell my guys to hit the books. I know I'm going to lose a couple of them, but most of them ain't stupid, they're just not used to working that hard. And you play nice with Miss Peters."

"Agreed, but one thing more. Please learn your native language and stop saying 'ain't'. It grates on my nerves. You don't want me to be annoyed with you, right?"

"I guess. But I am what I am, Doc, you just gotta accept that, like I gotta accept what you are."

Nikola unbarred the doors. "Let's go explain to everyone that I just edged you out at the finish line."

"Right, you just edged me out, got it."

They went back out to the football field together.

Nikola went over to Sarah and she handed him his jacket, scanning him carefully for blood or bruising, and seemingly confused when she didn't find any. "How did you . . .?"

"He just saw the error of his ways." Nikola took an envelope out of his inner jacket pocket and took it over to the two agents who were still watching him.

He handed it to the older one and said "Give this to General Whosis; whoever is in charge these days. Tell him not to get excited it's all for the school and I'll pay for it if he wants. There's no way I could make a weapon out of it, if he's not sure tell him to ask Einstein or one of the Oppenheimer brothers, any decent scientist can explain it to him."

Nikola walked back and joined Sarah. "So what time do you want to go bowling?"


End file.
